Frederick Jeremiah Edwards

Frederick Jeremiah Edwards VC
Born (1894-10-03)3 October 1894
Queenstown, County Cork, Ireland
Died 9 March 1964(1964-03-09) (aged 69)
Richmond, Surrey, England
Allegiance United Kingdom United Kingdom
Service/branch British Army
Rank Corporal
Unit 12th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment
Battles/wars World War I – Battle of the Somme
Awards Victoria Cross

Frederick Jeremiah Edwards (3 October 1894 – 9 March 1964) VC was an Irish recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces. He could not read or write.

Biography

Edwards was born in Queenstown (now named Cobh), County Cork, Ireland. He was 21 years old, and a private in the 12th Battalion, The Middlesex Regiment (Duke of Cambridge's Own), British Army during the First World War, and was awarded the VC for his deeds on 26 September 1916 at Thiepval, France: part of the line was held up by machine-gun fire and all the officers had become casualties. There was confusion and indication of retirement. Private Edwards, grasping the situation and on his own initiative, dashed out towards the gun, which he knocked out with his bombs. This very gallant act, coupled with great presence of mind and disregard of personal danger, made further advance possible and cleared up a dangerous situation.[1]

He was later promoted to corporal and after leaving the army he was forced to sell his medal to make ends meet. He died on 9 March 1964 at the Royal Star and Garter Home in Richmond (then in Surrey, now in London) and is buried in Richmond Cemetery.[2]

His Victoria Cross is displayed at the National Army Museum, Chelsea, England.

Edwards was portrayed by Adam Webb in the 2006 BBC docudrama The Somme – From Defeat to Victory

References

  1. ↑ "No. 29836". The London Gazette (Supplement). 25 November 1916. p. 11526.
  2. ↑ "Frederick Jeremiah Edwards". Victoria Cross holders buried in the borough. London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. 3 August 2009. Retrieved 4 November 2014.

Sources

Listed in order of publication year

  • The Register of the Victoria Cross (1981, 1988 and 1997)
  • Clarke, Brian D. H. (1986). "A register of awards to Irish-born officers and men". The Irish Sword. XVI (64): 185–287.
  • Ireland's VCs (Dept of Economic Development 1995)
  • Monuments to Courage (David Harvey, 1999)
  • Irish Winners of the Victoria Cross (Richard Doherty and David Truesdale, 2000)
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